Sažetak
This study was designed to determine perceptions of Nigerian ophthalmologists about traditional eye care practice in Nigeria. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to capture relevant information on TECP from some Nigerian ophthalmologists that attended their 32nd annual professional congress in Enugu, Nigeria, from the 4th to 8th September, 2007.One hundred and one ophthalmologists comprising of 41 consultants, 6 diplomates and 54 resident doctors gave their consent and participated in the study by returning their filled questionnaires. Majority of the respondents (66%) reported a significant degree of community acceptance of TECP within their various localities. Most of the respondents (57.6%) were against collaboration with traditional healers. Despite acknowledging a significant degree of community acceptance for TECP, majority of the respondents were against an integration of TECP into the health system, even at the primary eye care level . We recommend that the government, in collaboration with ophthalmologists, evolves a multi-disciplinary agency to 1) regulate and monitor TECP; 2) identify and encourage the useful components of TECP, while at the same time, identify and discourage the harmful aspects including all forms of surgery and couching of the lens; 3) training and retraining of TECP practitioners to enable them become useful members of the primary eye care team.
Keywords: Ophthalmologists, traditional healers, collaboration, Nigeria.
Résumé
Cette étude était faite pour déterminer la perception des ophtalmologues Nigeria á propos du pratique traditionnelle des soins des yeux au nigeria. Un questionnaire semi structure était utilisé pour obtenir des informations importantes en PTSY de certains nigérian Ophtalmologues qui ont attend le 32iéme congrès professionnel annuel a Enugu au Nigeria, du 4 au 8 septembre 2007.Cent un ophtalmologues y compris 41 consultants, 6 diplomates et 54 docteurs résidents Ont donne leurs consentement et ont participe a l’étude en rendant leur Questionnaire remplis. La majorité de ceux qui ont répondus (66%) ont signale un degré important d’acceptation de la communauté au PTSY a l’intérieur de leur localité variées la plupart de ceux qui ont répondus (57,6%) était contre la collaboration avec les praticiens traditionnels. Malgré la reconnaissance de l’acceptation d’un degré important de la communauté pour le PTSY, la majorité de ceux qui ont répondus était contre l’intégration de la PTSY dans le système de santé au niveau des soins primaire des yeux. Nous recommandons que le gouvernement en collaboration avec les ophtalmologues élaborent une agence multidisciplinaire pour: réguler et contrôler la PTSY, identifier et encourager les éléments utile de la PTSY bien que identifier et décourager les aspects nuisibles y compris toutes formes d’opérations et d’expression de la lentille, Former et reformer les personnels de la PTSY pour qu’ils deviennent des membres utile de l équipe de soins primaire des yeux.
Correspondence: Dr. Omolase Charles Oluwole, Department of Ophthalmology, Federal Medical Centre, PMB 1053, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria. Email: omolash2000@yahoo.com
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